Page 1 of 2 School Newsletter

Summer Term - June 2007

Headteacher: Mr Simon Lee

KS2 Teacher in Charge: Julie Brooksby

Date: April 2014

Below is a summary of our recent Good Ofsted Report. The full report can be found on the OFSTED website at www.ofsted.gov.uk and on the school website www.pru.calderdale.sch.uk

Pupils frequently arrive at the school with gaps in their learning due to missing time in

mainstream school. From their often low starting points, pupils settle into well-organised

routines, which help them make good and sometimes better progress. This represents

Dear Parents and Friends… We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the support you have given the staff of Stepping Stones throughout this half term. We break up at 2.30 on Friday 11

th

April and return to school at 8.55am on Monday 28th April. If you have any concerns or queries please contact us on the telephone numbers below. 01422 248683 PRU 07907056109 PRU mobile

The allotment The allotment has had a spring makeover. The beds have been dug and raked and are ready to sow seed in when the ground warms up.The potatoes have been planted and Ms Statham has been ordered to stay away from them. (Ms S inadvertently dug up our newly planted seed potatoes last year). We have weeded, and manured the raised beds and planted our onion sets. We should have some salad onions in the summer months.

News Faces:

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our newly appointed teacher,Mrs McManimin.Mrs McManimin visited the centre last week and is now busy preparing some exciting activities for her new charges. Mrs McManimin will assume responsibility for Class 1 and Mrs Brooksby will work with Class 2. Miss Padgett and Mrs Dawson will help Mrs McManimin to settle in and Mrs Statham and Mr

Colleran will help with Mrs Brooksby and Class 2

Mr Boakes- Class 2: We would like to thank Mr Boakes for kindly stepping into Mrs Cooks shoes and holding the fort with Class 2 throughout the Spring term. The boys have enjoyed working with Mr Boakes and he has proved a valued member of the staff team. We wish Mr Boakes good luck for

the future and hope he has a rest over Easter.

Seal Day at the Phoenix Centre: The school spent a day with colleagues and pupils from KS3 and KS4. They took part in various exciting and different activities. The pupils enjoyed the day.

Bike-ability: Congratulations to those pupils that took part in the bike-ability training. All achieved their

level 1 and some worked towards their level 2.

Next term: we will be looking at plants,

creatures and lifecycles, this will involve

spending time at the allotment.

Using the allotment produce in Food Tech

Page 2 of 2 School Newsletter

Below is a summary of our recent Good Ofsted Report. The full report can be found on the OFSTED website at www.ofsted.gov.uk and on the school website www.pru.calderdale.sch.uk

Pupils frequently arrive at the school with gaps in their learning due to missing time in

mainstream school. From their often low starting points, pupils settle into well-organised

routines, which help them make good and sometimes better progress. This represents

good achievement overall.

Pupils join the school because they are in danger of being excluded, or have been

excluded, from mainstream schools. As a result of the good progress they make both

academically and in improving their behaviour many make a successful return to their

mainstream schools.

Teaching is good. The majority of teachers have high expectations for all pupils.

Teachers’ good subject knowledge and clear explanations result in good learning.

Pupils feel safe and describe school as a welcoming place to which many enjoy coming.

Despite their high level of need, incidents of difficult behaviour rarely interrupt learning.

The majority of pupils show courteous and friendly attitudes to staff, visitors and each

other.

Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have maintained

and strengthened or successfully built on standards in both the quality of teaching and

pupils’ achievement across the school. This continuous commitment shows leaders’ ability

to make the school even better in the future.

The well informed, skilled and effective management committee offers good levels of

both support and challenge to senior leaders.

Pupils frequently arrive at the school with gaps in their learning due to missing time in mainstream

school. From their often low starting points, pupils settle into well-organised routines, which help

them make good and sometimes better progress. This represents good achievement overall. Pupils join the school because they are in danger of being excluded, or have been excluded, from

mainstream schools. As a result of the good progress they make both academically and in improving

their behaviour many make a successful return to their mainstream schools.

In PSHE both classes have looked at road hazards and road safety. In RE both classes have looked at the Christian Bible and lents and the lead up to palm Sunday and Easter. They have also studies St Patrick and his life story.They have watched short animations and completed activities such as completing pictures and word searches. In Spanish the classes have about food, school and

articles in the home.

Class 1 have been working individually on improving their number skills and looking at odds, evens and rounding. They have also looked at 3D shapes as a whole class. Class 2 have been working individually on things like fractions, adding and subtracting large numbers, rounding, multiplying and using positive and negative numbers. They have also used interactive games in their learning. They have also studied time and shapes as a whole class. Some have also

practiced for their Sats.

Class 1 have been reading studying comprehension by reading short stories and answering questions. Class 2 have studied various parts of grammar like nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. As well as antonyms, prefixes and suffixes. They have also been improving comprehension skillsthrough reading stores and answering questions. Children have been developing sentences and forming them into paragraphs. Some pupils have also been

completing practice ‘Sats’ papers.

In science, Class 1 have begun to study life cycles. Class 2 have looked at the Solar System. We have discovered alot about the planets e.g their relative sizes, surface temperatures, how far they are away from the sun and the gravity of each of them. Children even calculated how much they each would weigh on various planets. We have studied wind power and made wind mills. In food technology lessons both classes have made such things as marshmallow crunch,chocolate concrete chocolate truffles and a delicious leek and potato soup.

Class 1 have been planting various plants, mostly for the allotment. They have also looked at green issues. Class 2 have been looking at fossil fuels and renewable energy. They have also looked at the weather, energy and green issues in Brazil because of the world cup competition that will be held there later on this year.

Class 1 have been making various articles including Easter masks and cards. They have created made flower pictures in the style of Van Gogh. Class 2 have been making cards and boxes to hold their chocolates. They have also started thinking about and designing new smoothie recipes. They will design posters advertising the smoothies.

Sport Relief Day. On March 21st the school held a day of charity fund raising for Sport Relief. The pupils came in various sports clothing and also took part in a special penalty shoot out against one of the worlds greatest goalkeepers, Mr Boakes. The pupils paid to take pot shots at him. The winners received prizes and all the money

collected went to Sport Relief.